More stories

  • in

    Hyundai Creta Electric Spied For First Time – 2025 Launch Plan

    A 100 kW electric motor and a battery big-enough for a 400+ km range should make for an interesting proposition for our marketHyundai Creta Electric SpiedHyundai India has kick-started its electric vehicle onslaught by launching the Ioniq 5 and showcasing Ioniq 6 at the Auto Expo last month. But the Korean automaker is also working on a more mainstream EV for our market. It was recently reported that Hyundai is working on an electric Creta crossover (codenamed SU2i EV) and an early prototype based on the conventional variant has been spotted for the first time in public.Automotive enthusiast Nitin Tyagi was charging his EV while the Hyundai Creta EV prototype stopped by for a recharge, and he promptly clicked these photos. There were a total of two test mules of the Hyundai Creta Electric. As you can see, the test mules do not have any camouflage but there is an easily noticeable protrusion from the floor pan which appears to be a structural member supporting the battery pack.2025 Hyundai Creta Electric SpiedConverting an in-production IC-engined car into a fully electric prototype is not a walk-in-the-park but Hyundai engineers and technicians seem to have done a pretty neat job. Save for the visible floor pan extension and different body panel colours, there is nothing on the exterior to suggest it is not a regular Creta.The production version is also expected to be based on the modified version of the current IC-engine platform. This approach will allow Hyundai to optimize cost since its almost fully localized. Tata has applied the same formula to Nexon EV, and Mahindra to XUV400.Hyundai Creta Electric SpiedThis will also help the automaker produce the vehicle with minimal modifications and investments to its existing assembly lines. However, in the long term, Hyundai India will localize its fully electric E-GMP architecture for both domestic and export markets.Hyundai Creta EV SpecsNot much is known about the specifications of the upcoming Hyundai Creta EV but we expect critical sub-systems to be derived from the Kona EV. That would mean a 100 kW (136 hp) PMSM electric motor with a peak torque output of 395 Nm of torque.The battery pack is also likely to be derived from the international sibling. With a capacity of 39.2 kWh, the lithium-ion polymer unit should be good for an ARAI-certified range of over 400 km. The Creta EV could be used with some significant aero optimizations over its IC-engined sibling to improve energy efficiency.Hyundai Creta Electric SpiedNew Hyundai Creta EV is expected to be ready for its global debut at the 2025 Auto Expo before going on sale later that year. Interestingly, the debut timeline is similar to its primary competitor Maruti YY8 electric SUV (codename). Expect the pricing to  be somewhere between Rs 20 to 30 lakh.Tata, Maruti, Mahindra and other OEMs will be aiming to position their volume-oriented electric crossovers in the same segment. That should make for an intense competition which will ultimately benefit the customers. We think Hyundai will easily attain its volume target of around 25,000 units per annum with its mid-premium EV offering. More

  • in

    Hyundai Kona Electric Vs Creta Petrol, Diesel – Cost After 80k Kms

    Hyundai Kona Electric owner has spent a total of Rs 2.07 lakh on charging and maintenance of his carHyundai Kona ElectricWhile electric vehicles (EVs) are the future of mobility, their high purchase cost prevents them from penetrating into the mass market. However, EVs ace their IC engine counterparts when it comes to running costs. It is no hidden fact that fuel prices have seen an exorbitant rise in the past few months.Many people have already started to make the transition from petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to emission-free battery-powered vehicles. In the passenger vehicle space, Hyundai Kona Electric was one of the first electric cars to be introduced in India. Team-BHP member ADI7YAK has shared interesting details on the expenses incurred for charging and maintaining Hyundai Kona Electric vs that of a Creta Petrol or diesel after driving 80,000 kms.Hyundai Kona Electric Charging CostCharging cost of Hyundai Kona Electric – For 80,000 kmsHyundai Kona EV owner has shared that he has owned a Kona EV for twenty months which recently clocked 80 thousand kilometers. He has provided a detailed cost breakup of owning and maintaining the car and a rough calculation of how much money he has saved in comparison to petrol automatic and diesel automatic cars of a similar size and price.Owner of Kona EV mentions that in order to achieve 80,000km on the odometer, a total of 11 megawatts of electricity were used. This includes both public and home charging setup. For this, the owner had to spend a total cost of Rs. 91480. Around 90 percent of the charging was done via home charging while the rest were done from public charging stations.Charging cost of Hyundai Kona Electric – For 80,000 kmsHe further mentions that public chargers are more expensive but also quicker than standard home wall chargers. Getting into more details, the owner reveals that he has spent around Rs 18,500 on maintaining his car which includes regular service and other wear and tear items such as wiper blades, bulbs, etc. By his standards, this amount is very cheap.Charging cost of Hyundai Kona Electric – For 80,000 kmsThe highest cost of maintenance Rs 47,800 was incurred by a change in tyres which were replaced after 50,000km. After taking into account each and every cost attached, the owner reported an average running cost of Rs 1.37 per km. This was compared against the running cost of petrol- and diesel-powered Creta.Cost Comparison With Diesel, Petrol-powered CretaAfter collecting data from Creta owners, the Kona EV user came to realise that Creta petrol automatic owners would have to spend almost around Rs 7.00 lakh for the car to clock 80,000 km on its odometer. In case of a Creta diesel automatic, it would be around Rs 5.41 lakh. Both these figures are much greater than Rs 91,480 spent by the Kona EV user on electricity.Maintenance cost of Hyundai Kona Electric – For 80,000 kmsTherefore, savings in case of Kona EV stands at Rs 6,08 lakh and Rs 4.50 lakh when compared with petrol- and diesel-powered Creta. Top-end petrol variant of Creta costs Rs. 21.16 lakh while its diesel-powered counterpart would cost Rs 21.65 lakh. On the other hand, Kona EV costs Rs 25.3 lakhs. Therefore, for a total distance of over 80,000km, the additional cost of an EV is compensated and savings begin.Hyundai Kona Electric Vs Creta Petrol, Diesel and HexaSource More